The Serb-majority town of Zvečan in Kosovo has made the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, an honorary citizen because of his dedication to the province.
The award was received by a government representative on behalf of Vučić in a ceremony on Monday, who also read a statement by the president.
Vučić vowed to fight over Kosovo and to make sure that its northern part stays Serbian.
“Kosovo and Metohija will, as before, be my first thought when I open my eyes in the morning, and my last thought when I close my eyes in the evening. As long as my word and will are respected, only the flag of the Serbian tricolor will be flown from Zvečan, because if Zvečan is not Serbia, then what is Serbia,” Vučić stated.
Other people awarded honorary citizenship in Zvečan are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Serbian tennis player Novak Djoković, and Marko Djurić, a Serbian government official working on matters related to Kosovo.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following a brutal war engaged against the province inhabited by an Albanian majority by the Serbian regime of President Slobodan Milosević.
The two countries have been engaging in a dialogue “to normalize relations” since 2011, facilitated by the European Union. However, Serbian leaders vow not to ever recognize Kosovo.
The northern part of the country, including the town of Zvečan, is inhabited by a Serb majority after most Albanians were driven away during the 1999 war and haven’t returned yet.